I have a fresh Lucid Lynx (Ubuntu 10.04) running on a laptop. where I defined the filesystems as:

• Change File System Without Formatting
• Converting File System To Ntfs Without Formatting Using Cmd

• mount point / on ext4 (46 Gb)
• mount point /home on jfs (63 GB)
• swap as 3 Gb

I left the machine over night to do some task, without AC power supply. next day in the morning I found it on standby, task completed, but filesystem was not reachable. it gave me I/O error

it seems that there is a problem with jfs and standby.

Besides above two reasons, there are also some hardware devices or software programs only support FAT32 file system, so it is really required to convert NTFS to FAT32 without losing data or reformatting partition. Can I Convert NTFS to FAT32 by using Windows Format Tool? To convert NTFS to FAT32, this is an oft-asked topic.

anyways, to avoid any hassle, I want to move this mount point from jfs format to ext4.

1. Option 2: Reformat the Drive. If you don’t have a ton of data on the drive, the best bet is to copy any data from the drive to somewhere else, reformat the drive, and then copy the data back. All you have to do is right-click on the drive and choose Format. And then select NTFS in the file system drop-down. Finish the format, and copy your data back. Nice and easy.
2. Jun 09, 2017  how can I convert drive from fat32 to exfat without lossing data? How can I convert drive from fat32 to exfat safely without lossing data? But the file system is converted to NTFS and not exFat. And NTFS is not suitable for all situations. You can try command 'convert: /fs:exfat', but I'm not sure if it works.

can I do this without losing data and without the need to place the data in a temporary location until transformation is done?

sorry to mention that, but I recall back in the windows days, we would change a FAT16 to FAT32 or a FAT32 to NTFS without having to lose the data. I hope this is available on Linux.

UpdateThe /home filesystem was xfs not jfs, and it seems there is a bug with this filesystem for some reason, I had to re-install the OS twice until I ended up with ext4 for the entire /

However, as a conclusion, it seems that there is no way to make a conversion

A.RashadA.Rashad

3 Answers

i am unaware of any way to non-destructively convert a file system. this does not mean it is impossible, but i would put it at very low odds.

you can, for example, convert from ext2 to ext3 without wiping the disk, and from ext3 to ext4.

Watch nadal vs tsitsipas live espn streaming. but to go from something like jfs to ext4 seems highly improbable, without first copying your /home files to another partition or external hard disk.

even then, you would want to create a new user on your system, with a home directory somewhere like /tmp/tempuser or copy your configurations for your user, usually the 'dot' files (files beginning with .) in your home directory to a new location off /home and updating /etc/passwd to use the new home directory, so you can log in as a normal user while you're performing this update.

then, back up your files, unmount /home and format it using /sbin/mkfs.ext4 or whatever tool you plan to use. mount the fresh partition at /home and copy your files back.

also, i would recommend something 'intelligent' like rsync to copy your files, to assure you preserve your permissions and all that jazz.

fstransform converts between ext2, ext3, ext4, jfs, minix, xfs, reiserfs.

I see it in Debian repositories, so it probably is also available in other Debian-based distributions.

You can try http://tzukanov.narod.ru/convertfs/ When I used it a few years ago it worked in one case and trashed the file system in another case.

Florian DieschFlorian Diesch

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Hi Abraham,

I realize the inconvenience you are experiencing with accessing the RAID files in Windows 10. I will certainly help you.

Change File System Without Formatting

This issue occurs as RAW drive is a hard drive partition which has not been formatted with the file system.

To assist you better, please provided us the information below:

• When you say that 'to be able to read and write files on it from my windows OS', is the Windows 10 installed in a different partition on the hard drive?
• Are you able to access the partition of Windows 10 files from Chrome OS?

I suggest you to check if you are able to access the file inside the partition through Disk Management.

Converting File System To Ntfs Without Formatting Using Cmd

1. Press Windows Key + R Key.

2. Then type 'diskmgmt.msc' without the quotes in the run box and hit on Enter Key.

3. In the Disk Management Window, right click on the partition box.

4. Then click on Open or Explore to check if you are able to access the files and folders.

If you are not able to access the partition files, then I recommend you to search for a third Data recovery software to access the files and folders in your favorite search engine.

THIRD PARTY LINK DISCLAIMER

Disclaimer: Using Third Party Software, including hardware drivers can cause serious problems that may prevent your computer from booting properly. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Third Party Software can be solved. Using Third Party Software is at your own risk.

Please get back to us with an update on issue with accessing partition on dual boot Operating System, we will be happy to help.

Thank you.